Fungi are known to cause a variety of infectious diseases in man, animals, and plants. In man, for instance, they cause superficial mycosis affecting the skin, oral cavity, etc. and systemic mycosis affecting the viscera, brain, etc. They cause similar infections in pet and domestic animals as well. Furthermore, fungi inflict various hazardous effects on plants such as orchard trees and vegetables.
As the principal pathogenic fungi causing systemic mycosis in man, those of the genera Candida, Cryptococcus, and Aspergillus, among others, are known. As to superficial mycosis, genus Candida affecting the skin, oral cavity, and vagina and trichophytons infecting the skin of the extremities are regarded as the major pathogenic fungi. Besides those fungi, many other fungi exist in the environment and are suspected to contaminate the animals and plants.
Recently allergic disorders including asthma, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis are rapidly increasing. There are lots of allergic disorders in which various substances in the environment such as mites and all kinds of pollen, or antigens contained in foods actas allergens. Also there are many allergic disorders caused by fungi, and allergens derived from Candida, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Malassezia, Penicillium, etc. act as their causes. Further, lots of immune disorders other than allergic disorders, in which immune responses are exacerbated are known.
As antimycotics of use for the prevention and treatment of such fungal infections and contaminations, only a very few are known nowadays. Among them, as therapeutic drugs for systemic mycosis in animals especially including men, for instance, amphotericin B, flucytosine, miconazole, and fluconazole can be mentioned. However, those compounds are not fully satisfactory in potency, toxic potential, or antifungal spectrum, thus being not impeccable as therapeutic drugs.
Although there are lots of therapeutics for immune disorders including allergic diseases, they cannot treat a variety of immune disorders sufficiently. In particular, there is only a few drugs that have plural good functions like activity to control immune disorders and antifungal activity.